Chief Curator: Art Museums, Harvard University

About the Harvard Art Museums

The Harvard Art Museums house one of the largest and most renowned art collections in the United States. The institution is comprised of three museums — the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger and Arthur M. Sackler museums — and four research centers. Together, the collections include approximately 250,000 objects in all media. The 2014 renovation and expansion of the Harvard Art Museums carried on the legacies of the three museums and united their remarkable collections under one roof for the first time.

This is a particularly interesting chapter for the arts at Harvard. Since 2008, when the University released the Report of its Task Force on the Arts, there has been remarkable growth in the arts. Since the 2014 reopening of the museums, they have built a reputation for creative, extraordinary exhibitions and under the leadership of the next Chief Curator will achieve further acclaim for expanding audiences with intellectually and visually stimulating exhibitions.

The Chief Curator Opportunity

The Chief Curator will be a critical member of the senior leadership team of the Harvard Art Museums. Most fundamentally, the Chief Curator will lead all aspects of the curatorial program at the Harvard Art Museums. S/he will lead the curatorial team and advance the Harvard Art Museums’ mission to bring to light the intrinsic power of art and promote critical looking and thinking for students, faculty and the public. Under the leadership and guidance of the Chief Curator, the curatorial team will create timely and stimulating exhibitions, working with the collections of the Harvard Art Museums as well as loans from outside sources.

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:

Skilled at building effective relationships at multiple levels across complex institutions;

Strong interpersonal skills and experience in building and leading teams;

Sophisticated understanding and passion for art and art history, the materials, techniques and condition of art objects, along with a robust record of exhibitions and scholarly publications; and

Passion about working in partnership with the staff, faculty, students and other partners to advance the mission and curatorial agenda.

A Ph.D. in art history or related field is required.

Additional information on the Harvard Art Museums and the opportunity can be found here.

Mission Statement

The Association of Academic Museums and Galleries is the leading educational and professional organization for academic museums, galleries, and collections. In recognition of the unique opportunities and challenges of its constituents, the AAMG establishes and supports best practices, educational activities and professional development that enable its member organizations to fulfill their educational missions.